Ruff and Tumble
by ToaKage
Summary: Set two years after the events of How To Train Your Dragon - Ruffnut is in for a big surprise as her life takes a large turn for the aggrivating.
1. Prologue

Authors Note: This story will be set after the events in the movie. For the sake of this story I have decided that all the Teens were 14 and 15 at the time of the movie. I hope that you enjoy this story and are more than slightly amused by it.

Disclaimer: All characters, places and ideas from Dream Works How to Train Your Dragon are copyright of Dream Works Pictures and its affiliates, blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda.

The day shone bright on the island of Berk that morning. Clear skies and a brisk breeze through the village signaled the start of a beautiful day to the inhabitants of the village where our story began two fateful years ago. Today, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third celebrates his seventeenth birthday and becomes a man in his village. The people bustle back and forth from their homes to the Mead Hall where a grand celebration is slated to begin at sundown.

But our story is not about Hiccup in all of his glory…Well, not entirely anyway. For if it were not for Hiccup and his grand adventure that freed the Dragons and Humans from a war several hundreds years old, we may not have this amazing story to tell. For our story is about a young woman and her journey along the road of destiny. Sitting at the breakfast table in her small, beaten old home she sighs in to her porridge, eyes absently staring ahead. She has gotten no sleep the past few nights, staying up late to work on a piece that all the girls in her age group were asked to do in their own style.

The piece was a carved wall to tell the story of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third and his triumph over the Green Death two years prior. Her arms and wrists ached from the strain of working on the wall for the last month, more used to the softer medium that clay provided for molding and sculpting. The delicate pads of her hands were bruised from the chisel and hammer and all the long nights of work with them. Her blue eyes nearly refused to stay open, their weight bringing her entire head down with them. A sudden hand in front of her face brought her back to the nightmare of staying awake all day to the presentation of her carvings. "Hey, you alright in there?"

With her eyes half lidded and a distinct hatred for her "beloved" brother she sneered "Do I look alright, you troll." The cold of the day seemed to be amplified by her exhaustion. "I need a nap, but SOMEONE," she glared "thinks that I should stay up all day so that I can pass out from exhaustion in front of everyone in the village!" As she spoke her voice steadily rose in volume until it could have been heard on the other side of the village.

He brother looked at her with fear brimming in his eyes and nodded slowly. "Uh…Eh, maybe you should, you know, go lay down for a bit and, uh, rest for a while." He laughed nervously at his sisters towering form above him. Looking around a bit he added "And don't worry about anything. I do all the cleaning and deliveries today. You just relax, kay?"

She nodded in mild satisfaction and moved toward the stairs leading to the two rooms upstairs. A bedroom for her and a bedroom for him. As she reached the top of the stairs she could hear her brother muttering about something stupid before grinning and stepping in to her room. It took all of her effort to keep from just dropping on the floor to sleep. With much effort she was able to slink over to her bed, dropping her helmet and other various items on to the floor as she did so.

As she made it to her bed she slumped on to the side of the bed, finding it very hard to pull herself the rest of the way up. Eventually she made it in to her blankets and allowed sleep to wash over her, her final thoughts a blur of aggravation and relief. After tonight it would all be over and she could get back to her normal quiet life. She smiled through her sleep, the most peaceful that she had had in months and the most peaceful she would have for months to come.


	2. Getting Ready

Ruffnut awoke to banging on her bedroom door. Before she could even get her feet on the floor her best and only female friend slammed the door open with a look of panic on her face. Ruff look at her drearily for a moment before falling back on to her pillow, full intent on falling back asleep. "Ruff, you need to get up and get ready. We only have three hours until the party begins!" Astrid ripped the blankets off of her friends bed as she spoke, distress obvious in her voice.

Ruffnut only groaned and rolled on to her side. "Let me sleep for at least another two hours Astrid," she mumbled to the girl who she knew was not listening. The sound of a latch being undone and the lid of her trunk being thrown open pulled her from her dreamlike state very quickly. She flew out of her bed and over to the trunk, slamming it shut before Astrid could see what was inside. "I am not wearing a dress dammit! I already explained this to you. I do not wear dresses." She glared at the other girl who gave her a look of pure boredom as if to say "I heard you the first time, that doesn't mean I care what you have to say."

"Ruff, you know the elder told ALL of us that we absolutely HAVE to wear dresses to the party tonight for the presentation. If I have to do this, so do you." Her tone was very final as she pulled her friend out of the way by her hair and opened the trunk once more, ignoring the other girls protests. She reached in and pulled out several dresses, throwing them all in a row on Ruffnuts bed. With a sigh of defeat the platinum haired girl went to a small table in the corner of her room and picked up a brush, allowing her friend to be the one to decide what hideous monstrosity she would have to wear today.

A gasp of pure awe forced her to turn around and look at her friend and the horrors that lay on her bed. Her eyes fell upon a form of white fabric, a dress with long sleeves that would bell out at the ends to dangle gracefully from her wrists. The bodice and waste were tight, designed to show off her very lacking features. The neckline plunged furthers than she felt was modest though a slight up the side allowed for easier movement. Silver thread adorned the edges in a border along the cuffs and neckline. It had been her mothers before she had died in a Dragon raid some three years earlier. Their father remarried almost immediately and they welcomed their new mother with much enthusiasm. She had been their aunt who they loved dearly and had been widowed without children when they were very young.

She knew immediately that Astrid intended for her to wear her mothers dress to the party that evening. With a small sigh and a forced smile she agreed to the dress. "We should go get cleaned up and dressed and all that. After all, you don't wanna smell bad for your beloved Hiccup," she teased lightly as she grabbed the dress and headed for the door. Astrid rolled her eyes and threw the brush her friend had been using moments before at the back of her head. Years of training were not wasted as she dodged the projectile. Looking down at it she smirked, "I should bring that with me, shouldn't I."

Going down the stairs her smile softened when she was that her brother had kept his word and did the cleaning. Stepping outside in to the sunshine she couldn't help but let the beauty of the scene before her make her heart soar. Dragons of all different kinds soared and perched all around the village, a very welcome sight in her mind as she had been sitting in a dark hut all month trying to finish her wall in time. She looked to Astrid at the thought of the walls and almost sighed once more. She knew that Astrids wall would be chosen to adorn the Mead Hall and be admired for years to come. This knowledge and the knowledge that all of the time and effort that she put in to her wall would have been wasted caused a spark of jealousy to rise within her.

She began to descend to the village below, intent on going to Astrids home to bathe and get ready. She would have stayed at home to get ready, but her parents had gone out that morning to help with the hunting for the party and she would have no help to get ready. As she walked along the streets she noticed boys around her age staring at her, only then realizing that she had not put her hair back up and her helmet back on before venturing out. Astrid snickered next to her, obviously having noticed what was going on. Ruffnut was by no means an unattractive girl, but she did her best to hide this fact by wearing her helmet at all times and never allowing her hair to be down. With and inward groan she reminded herself that it would be a horrible idea to kill all of these buys right now. After all, she didn't want to accidentally rip or stain her mothers dress.

After what seemed like an eternity they arrived at Astrids home. They followed a small path behind the house where a large tub of hot water awaited them. Without acknowledging each other they sauntered to the wall where they would get undressed and climb in to the tub. An awning had been built over the top to keep boys for peeking as the girls bathed, also trapping some of the steam in the three walls around them. They both sank slowly in to the warm water and began to clean themselves. They took turns scrubbing the others back, chatting about everything and nothing all at once. They were good friends but both had been raised to be very independent, neither willing to share deep secrets or emotions that would cause them to be perceived as weak.

As they began to finish up Ruffnut heard a distinct rustling from the bushes across the way. Without seeming like she noticed it she turned from the bushes and told Astrid in a hushed and conspiratorial tone "We're being watched." Acting as if nothing were wrong Astrid grinned and made a quiet but shrill whistling noise. Soon enough a Nadder came in to view, seeming as if it were looking for food. It was Astrids Dragon StormSpike. Slowly it made its way over to the bushes before pouncing. Two surprised yelps and a deep scream came from the bushes. The yelps were expected, Snotlout and Tuffnut spying on Astrid in the tub again. However, the sound of Fishlegs yell was a surprise to them both as all three boys ran out of the bushes only to be tripped by the Nadder.

"You boys do realize we could to all you in to Stoic for this, right?" Astrid kept her tone light but an edge of raw fury was evident in her voice. Ruff, on the other hand, was trying hard not to laugh at the three boys and their childish attempt as spying. They all nodded in response to Astrids tone, before looking at one another. With a collective gulp they looked back at the Nadder who took the opportunity to chase them out of the yard.

"I swear, we had an easier time of training the dragons than we ever will of training them," Ruffnut exclaimed between laughs. Astrid nodded, her own laughs quieter but still not allowing her to speak. With a grin she began to exit the tub and get ready to get dressed. With a sigh Ruff slowly began to do the same. The cold air hit her body with a gust as she shivered her way to a towel and in to the house. Once inside Astrid beckoned her mother over to assist her with braiding her hair for the festivities of the evening. Without having to be told, Ruffnut sat in front of her friend, welcoming the heat of the fire that they sat next to.

"You should wear your hair down more often Ruff. It looks nice." Astrid ran a brush through platinum hair with a ting of envy. Her own hair was much thinner than Ruffs, and hardly as soft. "Not to mention a lot of the buys seemed to really like it this way."

Astrids mother chuckled at this, and looked at Ruffnut over her daughters shoulder. "I agree with Astrid dear, you do look lovely."

Ruff grinned at the compliment, doing her best to stay still for Astrid. "I don't care what the boys think. My dad will set up a marriage for me with whoever he wants. As longs they obey me, I won't really care who they are. And if they don't, well, that's what a hammer is for." This caused all three of them to laugh before they began to tell stories of some of the stupider things the men in their lives had done. Ruff felt a small twinge in her chest at the mention of Hiccup and Astrid on a date, but was careful to keep it to herself.

When they had finally finished with their hair the girls slipped in to their dresses. Astrid wore a beautifully embroidered blue dress with gold trim. A golden crown was placed upon her head to go with the dress. Ruffnut could not help but admire how beautiful she looked at that moment. She half expected some king to knock the door down at take her away to some happily ever after any moment now.

Astrids mother smiled as she pulled out another crown, wrought in silver that she handed to Ruff. The girl looked at it in confusion before sending that look to the woman before her. With a kind smiled the older woman spoke softly, "It was something that belonged to your mother when she was your age. Right before she died she asked me to fix it if I could. She said that if something were to happen to her, to give it to you when I felt the time was right."

Ruffnut was looked back at the small crown before throwing her arms around Astrids mother. She placed the crown on her head and looked in the small mirror that Astrid held before her. Her hair was mostly down, only small braids scattered throughout. The crown rested perfectly upon her head, watching the light just right. As wonderful as she looked she could not help but to feel a bit foolish. After all, it would only be a birthday party for Hiccup going on tonight. What was so important about that that she needed to get dressed up for?


	3. The Party

The Mead Hall was packed when the girls arrived. At the front of the hall all five wall carvings were present under tarps. Soon they would be revealed for inspection and each girl would have to tell the whole village the story that they carved of Hiccup. Ruff was beginning to feel nauseous as she thought about having to go up and explain why she carved what she did. She wasn't even sure if she knew why she carved what she carved. It had just seemed right. With a sigh she took a seat next to Astrid. The boys were also at the table, all of them at least having the decency to look ashamed of what they had done earlier.

Snotlout began to hit on Astrid as usual, causing Ruff to scoff lightly. He knew that she was only interested in Hiccup but could not bring himself to allow his cousin to win. It was rather sad when she thought about it. He was just to stupid to give up with any type of grace. Tuffnut was telling Fishlegs some story about something stupid that she did not pay much attention to. Instead her eyes fell on the boy that she could never have. Hiccup.

It sounded stupid but she had always liked him a little. Even if he was a klutz and was really easy to pick on. He never stopped trying and she admired that about him, even when his trying caused problems for others. But she knew that he would only ever have eyes for Astrid. She didn't even try to fight it. She knew that there was nothing about her that he would ever find appealing. She had no figure, no redeeming qualities. It was if she was just some background character in a really bad romance novel. Despite popular belief she did like to read, she just tried not to advertise this fact. She had a reputation to keep up after all.

Hiccup sauntered over to the table that the "Gang" was sitting at with a grin, his eyes locked on Astrid. As he pulled up closer Ruff got up and began to move to the other side of the table so that he could take a seat next to Astrid. "Hey, thanks Ruff." His smile was bright and sincere as he reached the table and took his seat next to the girl of his dreams. Astrid wrapped her arms around him and planted a kiss upon his lips with more enthusiasm than Ruff felt was necessary. "Hey guys. How's everyone doin'?"

Everyone but Ruff move to answer him at once. Instead she jumped as something with scales nudged against her cheek. A small squeaking noise escaped he lips, causing everyone at the table to stop talking and see what was wrong. Standing next to her in all his glory was Toothless. He was eyeing Ruff with a strange curiosity and sniffing her constantly. "Uhh…" She looked to Hiccup for advice but was met with a look that mirrored her confusion. She looked back at the dragon and tried pushing him back slightly. "Alright Toothless, that's enough…" She tried to laugh but it came out hollow and turned in to an almost shriek when Toothless decided he would have none of being pushed away and pushed back, forcing her back which caused her to trip over the stool she had been on and fall flat on her back.

At this point most of the hall was watching the spectacle with hushed whispers and a few laughs. Ruff continued to attempt to get away but stopped struggling completely when the dragon stepped on her dress. Without thinking she looked at the dress then back to the dragon. He was still sniffing her and seemed to be going from her head down. When he got to her chest she decided enough was enough and smacked him on the tip of his nose and screeched for him to "GET OFF!"

At this a few of the men in the room, including Tuffnut and Hiccup ran to her aid, attempting to pull the dragon off of her. It took seven men to pull Toothless off of Ruffnut and she was very much not pleased. Hiccup apologized profusely to her, exclaiming that the dragon had "never done anything like that before" and offering to do anything he could to make it up to the obviously upset girl. After many deep breaths and assurances that Toothless would not be allowed back in tonight she calmed down and told Hiccup to go have fun. She had no intention of ruining his birthday and she told him as much in less words and a punch to the gut.

As she sat next to her brother she watched Hiccup and Astrid walk over to his father and begin to talk. She sighed and took a swig from the nearest tankard of ale, which happened to belong to Fishlegs. At that point though, she could not bring herself to care. Her brother patted her on the back sympathetically. "It'll be okay sis. He proly just thought you smelled really good." He grinned, trying to compliment her in to a good mood. "After all, you took a bath today, maybe you used something different that he really likes?"

Ruff snorted and rolled her eyes, taking another swig of ale. "If that were the case he should have gone after Astrid to. We used the same soap and everything…" She trailed off thinking about the look in the dragons eyes. He looked so confused, as if she were something that she should not be. Even in the din of the hall she could hear the dragon screeching to get back in. "It's probably the dress. Its been in a trunk for years and he probably thought it smelled strange." He words sounded hollow in her ears but she did her best to try to convince herself that this was the case.

As she finished the tankard of ale the Village Elder called for silence. "Today we are here to celebrate Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Thirds accent in to being a man. To this end, we have had five young maidens of the village create wall carving that tell his story. Each girl shall come up and tell us the story on their carving and at the end, Hiccup will choose which wall will be set in the Mead Hall for all of eternity." At this the hall erupted in to cheers. Ruff joined them, knowing already that Astrid would be the one chosen. "First, we shall have Greta come and tell us the story of the wall she carved."

As Greta come forward the tarp over her wall was pulled down to reveal three distinct scenes. They all portrayed Hiccup defeating the Green Death. Ruffnut frowned as she looked it over. It was beautiful but she felt as if it were missing something. With a soft giggle she looked at hers, larger than all of the other wall that were present. Greta's explanation only took a few moments and was met with many applause. The next two were basically the same with the same explanation. And then, Astrid was called to present her wall.

As she pulled down the tarp Ruff could not help but feel disappointed. She had put more in to her story. But only the part where Hiccup taught us to ride and brought us in to battle. She told the hall of how Hiccup took charge of us all, and how he bravely fought the monster by himself. She looked proud and to Ruff, she had every right to be. The man that she loved was a hero, and more than that, he was to be Chief, a fact that she was very adamant in pointing out. Ruff cheered with everyone else as Astrid went back to her seat next to Hiccup.

"Our last wall was carved by Ruffnut Thorston." The Elder smiled at Ruffnut and motioned for her to come up to the front of the hall. Slowly, Ruffnut made her way up. Once she was there she took a deep breath and pulled down the tarp. There was a collective grasp of awe from the crowd. Even though her wall was by far the biggest of all five, her carvings were the smallest and told a much longer story than the others. She looked to the Elder who gave her a look of encouragement and motioned for her to begin.

"Uh, well…I didn't really plan out some great speech for this about how amazing Hiccup is and what a great hero he is…Mostly because we all already know that." She took another breath, looking at the crowd in anticipation. When no one tried to stop her she continued. "We all know he's a hero now, but he wasn't always. His real story began before the Green Death. It began in a dragon raid when he just couldn't obey orders." She grinned at the memory and a murmer went through the crowd as they recalled the night she spoke of. "Hiccup brought down a Night Fury, but none of use believed him. We laughed at him and muttered about how useless he was."

At this point she looked at Hiccup who looked rather ashamed. When he looked her in the eyes she smiled. "But he wasn't. No matter how many times things went wrong he didn't give up. He was put in Dragon Training and did better than anyone had ever dreamed he would. But not because he was stronger or faster. It was because he was smarter. He befriended a dragon and learned from it. He did what none of us were willing to do. When he tried to show us the truth we shunned him…" He expression changed to sadness as she looked around. "But in the end, when we needed him most, he didn't give up on us like we did him. He saved us all and ended the war. That is his story. The story of a boy who became more than a man, more than a Viking. He became a hero."

As she ended her speech she looked down, unsure of how everyone was going to react. She was almost sure she would end up thrown out and for a moment regretted wearing her mothers dress. Instead of being thrown out though, she was met with the sound of sniffling. Looking up she found most of the Vikings in the room had been moved to tears, even Stoic who held id son tightly in a hug. The Elder rested a boney hand on the girls own hand, and nodded with a smile. She looked out to Hiccup who had a look on his face that Ruffnut had never seen before. It was appreciation.

He stood slowly, gaining the attention of the whole hall. Ruffnut when to go back to her seat but a firm tug from the Elder kept her in place. She looked down at the older woman and though 'How can someone so small be so strong?' Hiccup cleared his throat and smiled at the occupants of the hall. "I have to say that I am toughed and honored by all of these beautiful carvings. But I have decided which wall I want on display." He turned and smiled at Ruffnut, causing her heart to stop beating for a moment. "I have chosen the wall the Ruffnut made for me. Because she's right. My story isn't just the slaying of the Green Death. It's much more than that. Thanks Ruff."

Ruffnut nodded dumbly as he sat back down. Ruff again went to sit back down but was again stopped. She looked down at the elder for an explanation and was met with a wicked grin. She was not sure that she liked that look on the Elders face but before she was able to voice such a thought the Elder spoke. "On this night we will celebrate more than just Hiccups accent in the manhood. Today we celebrate the picking of the next Wise Woman of our village." The hall broke in to murmurs of confusion and delight. "I have chosen Ruffnut to be my successor. Now let us celebrate!"

Her announcement was met with silence from the hall as they looked between the Elder and the look of pure horror on Ruffnuts face. Just as the girl felt that the night could not get any worse she was proven wrong when a villager opened the doors to the hall, letting Toothless in all his glory slam through the doors and pounce at the poor girl. Her last thought before the impact knocked her out was 'Great.'


	4. The Aftermath

Ruffnut awoke to a low rumbling sound and the distinct sound of her brother shouting. Groggily she lifted her head to see what was going on. The first thing she noticed was that she was under something. And that something had teeth. Lots of big, sharp pointy teeth. It took another moment for her to figure out that it was Toothless above her seeming to be…guarding her? 'Wait, that can't be right.' But it was. There he stood with his fangs bared to Hiccup of all people, who was, to put it mildly, very upset by this. The Elder had moved to the side a bit and was unharmed and even seemed to be laughing.

She was about to kick the dragon when she heard a low voice that she had never heard before. It was melodic but sinister. "Stay back!" As the voice spoke Toothless above her seemed to roar but she could not hear it. She groaned and touched her head, catching the attention of those that were left in the room. It seemed as if most of the villagers had been sent out of the hall. All that were left were Stoic, Hiccup, Tuffnut, the Elder and her parents. Toothless looked down at her and nuzzled her slightly. The voice rumbled again with a hint of worry. "Are you alright wing sister?"

She looked in to the dragons eyes, her own wide in horror. She could have sworn that Toothless had just spoken to her. She pushed herself on to her elbows and tried to slide to out from under the dragon, her eyes still wide. The Elder began to giggle, eventually turning in to all out cackling. Everyone in the room looked between her and themselves, unsure how to react. The Elder calmed herself quickly and rose to her full height, which was still rather short. "Everyone leave us. I can promise that the dragon will not harm her."

Tuffnut immediately bristled and with wild arm movements began to shout "There is no way that I am leaving my sister along with that thing that just attacked her for no good reason. Nu-uh, no way, not gunna happen-" He was stopped abruptly by Stoic who put a hand over the teens mouth to silence him. With a nod to the Elder and a concerned look in Ruffs direction he motioned for everyone to follow him. Her parents lingered a moment longer, unsure if they should follow. Soon though, they decided to follow their Chief, praying that the decision he was making was the right one.

Once the doors to the hall closed Ruffnut looked up at the Elder from her place on the floor. "So…What exactly is going on?" At these words the Elder smiled devilishly and tapped Toothless on the nose with her staff. The dragon pulled back and wiggled his nose experimentally, trying to look and see if an damage was done. "What was that for old wench?"

Ruff gulped once and shrank back from the dragon. With a shaky finger she pointed to him and asked slowly, "That dragon…He's talking…Right?" She looked to the Elder with pleading eyes, wanting so badly to know that she is not insane. The Elder nodded and looked to Toothless with a scowl. "Who are you calling old, you glorified bat. Compared to you I'm as fresh as a daisy."

Toothless snorted at this and laughed a bit. "Humans and dragons age very differently old one. And in any case how would you know how old I am. You humans have no sense of how we age." He looked to Ruffnut, that curious glint back in his eyes. "Why are you so scared, sister?"

The girl backed away as far as she could but hit a wall. The Night Fury continued to advance, trying to figure out what was going on. 'Why is she so afraid?' "Tell me, why do you wear a human guise? And how?" He was upon her at that point, his nose almost pressed to hers. She blinked a few times and, as articulate as ever, responded with a dumbfounded "Huh?"

The dragon looked back to the Elder one more time before deciding to sniff Ruffnut up and down one more time. This time, Ruff smacked him across the face with as much force as she could muster. Apparently it was a lot because it sent the dragon sprawling across the floor. With a look between the dragon and her hand she did what any normal Viking would have done in that situation. Stared.

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Ruffnut walked in to her parents home with a tired sigh. After three more attempts at trying to sniff her and a lot of yelling between her and the dragon, Toothless had been knocked out. Telling her to undress so he could detect her scent better had been the last straw. When she had left the hall Hiccup had immediately bombarded her with questions of; "Are you alright?" "Did her hurt you?" And her person favorite; "What do you mean you knocked him out?" She took in the scene in her parents home with a grin. Her mother and father with asleep in each others arms, worry evident on their features. Tuff was sprawled on the floor before the hearth, drool pooling around his face.

With a soft smile she went upto her parents room and grabbed a blanket from their bed to place over them. Once they were covered she scrawled a note on a peace of parchment that was on the table saying that she was fine and took Tuff back to their house. As soon as they had turned seventeen they had decided to move out to their own home together to give their parents a chance to have some time alone together. But that wasn't what they told their parents. They said something about needing space and freedom or something like that.

Carefully she shook her brother awake, trying to make sure that he did not wake their parents. After a few moments he woke up and stared blearily at her. Once he realized that it was her he jumped from his position on the floor to hug her. It took all of her charm and several threats to keep him from waking their parents that night. Once she was sure he would be quiet she led him out of the house and toward their own. The entire way she was bombarded with questions that she refused to answer until she got home.

Once in their house she sat at the table and took a deep breath. "Alright, so spill. What just happened in there?" Tuff asked, gesturing toward the Mead Hall. "And don't try to tell me it was nothing because it was so definitely something."

Ruffnut took a deep breath and began her story. "The Elder said it has something to do with being chosen as the next Wise Woman of the tribe. All I know is he thinks I'm a dragon disguised as a human and I can suddenly understand him." She looked at her brother, hoping that he believed her. Even to her own ears it sounded like the ravings of a woman gone mad. 'Maybe that's why the Elder said not to tell anyone.'

After a moment of silence he burst out laughing. "Man, you really had me going there for a second. A talking dragon? Come on!" He continued to laugh, clutching his stomach as she got angrier and angrier at him. Finally she took the nearest thing to her, which happened to be a plate, and slammed him over the head with it. With a final huff she stormed up the stairs to her room to think about everything that happened, falling asleep shortly before dawn.


	5. Waking Up

Flames danced around her, licking at her skin. The smell of sulfur was heavy around her, making her gag. The heat was near unbearable and her skin too tight. A pressure between her shoulder blades spoke of something sticking in to her back but it followed her wherever she moved. Her teeth were sore, reminding her of when she had lost her infants teeth and the new ones had grown in.

The sound of screams came quietly at first, almost as if she were imagining them. She could swear that she had heard those exact screams before. Someone calling her name then a scream of terror and pain. She knew the voice though she wished she didn't. She had left the safe house that all of the children were placed in to during a raid, wanting to see the battle up close. Shadows in the fire were familiar as a younger her and her mother. She tried to moved, to warn them, to save her, but she could not move, the fire holding her in place.

She opened her mouth to scream but had no voice to do so. Instead the fire went down her throat, searing and burning its way down and causing her to fall to her knees. Over and over she heard the screams of her mother, that night replaying before her like a sick play. Finally she gave up trying to scream out to them and sat in the ring of fire, crying as hard as she dared, her throat on fire.

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Ruffnut screamed as something landed on her abdomen and wrapped around her. She rapidly blinked away the sleep from her eyes and tried to get away from whatever was attached to her waist. Pounding could be hear as some…thing slammed her bedroom door open and yelled for the village to hear "Ruffy, sweety, what's wrong?" Her eyes cleared and she looked down to see her mother attached to her waist weeping and her father in the doorway with his axe held high. After a moment of silence she looked down at her mother who didn't seem to notice anything around her and poked the side of her head. "Uh, you know…You can let go now."

Her mother looked up at her with tear stained eyes and nodded before breaking out in to a fresh wave of sobs. Her father however, broke in to laughter as he strode over and ruffled her hair. "We were worried about you lass. That beast didn't hurt you did it?"

She shook her head as she began to poke the side of her mothers head. "Mom, this is really uncomfortable. Could you PLEASE get off now?" When her mother did not respond she hung her head in defeat and ran her fingers through her hair. Unsurprisingly she had forgotten to take her hair out of her braids before going to bed. Looking between her smiling father and sobbing mother she knew. 'This is gunna be a long day…'

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After explaining to her parents what had happened…Sort of, Ruffnut decided to go visit the Elder. On her way through town she could not help but to notice the way that all of the boys looked at her now. Beyond the normal fear and awe they had she could have sworn some of them were leering at her. It was uncomfortable to say the least but she did not let any of them see her discomfort. She walked easily in her normal attire, having a hunch that she would not be able to wear it for much longer. She passed Astrids house quickly, sure that if her friend cornered her, she would see through any lie that she made and then label her insane for the truth.

On the outskirts of town she found the small hut that belonged to the Elder and Wise Woman of the village. Without a moments hesitation she opened the door, not bothering to knock or shout. The Elder and an unexpected guest both looked up at her, one smiling and the other looking more sheepish than normal. Ruff was hardly surprised that Hiccup of all people sat before the Elder, looking both confused and worried. She suspected that he was there about Toothless, a topic that made her somewhat uneasy.

He looked between the Elder and Ruffnut before getting to his feet. He nodded to the Elder and smiled. "Thank you for your advice, Wise One. I will keep it in mind." He paused as he looked to Ruffnut, uncertainty in his eyes. "Ruff, can I talk to you for a sec?" His tone was quiet and sincere.

With a nod of approval from the Elder Ruff shrugged. "Sure, why not." She led the way back outside for privacy. Once they had closed the door to the hut Hiccup got to his knees and bowed his head to the ground. "I am so sorry for what happened to you last night. It was supposed to be a great night for the both of us, my becoming a man, your being named the next Wise Woman. I'm so sorry."

Ruff could only stand there in silence as she looked upon the young man before her. She had always known that Hiccup was a good and kind hearted person, and this only further strengthened her belief in that. With a chuckle she knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to apologize for anything Hiccup. It was Toothless who ruined everything. I'd honestly rather an apology from him (like that'll ever happen), so don't worry." She let a large grin spread across her face as he looked up at her with a smile. She stood and offered him her hand, pulling him back to his feet. "So no more of this prostrating yourself before me. As much as you probably should, seeing how awesome I am, Asrtid would probably get a bit upset if she saw you."

Her smile was contagious as he smiled right back at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You know, you're actually kinda nice sometimes." She sent him a fake glare and a mock punch to the shoulder which he easily dodged and responded with a sly smirk. "I think I'll have to keep that information aside as blackmail against you." His eyes narrowed conspiratorially. "That and the fact that you know some rather big works. So, how many books did you read to learn those?"

She smiled and leaned forward toward his ear. With a smirk she softly whispered "I guess you'll just have to fins that out, won't you, oh amazing future chief?" She pulled back and giggled at the sigh of his scarlet face. Even if she couldn't have him, she decided, she could still flirt until he and Astrid were officially official. "See you later Haddock. I have a future profession to be beaten in to me." With that she gracefully jumped backwards to the Elders front door and spun to pull it open and dash inside.

After a few moments of staring at the space Ruffnut had once occupied he shook his head and began to walk back to the village to see Toothless. All the while he thought of the new Wise Woman to be, the most prominent thought being that 'With Ruff as the Wise Woman, Berk is headed for some very interesting times.'

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Thanks so much for reading so far and for all of me reviews. At this point I have a Poll! Yes, a dreaded poll for you all to answer for me. Remember, if you don't vote, I won't know what you want. I am not psychic, nor would I ever want to be. My own mind is scary enough, thank you very much.

My poll question is this: Who, if anyone, should I pair Ruffnut with? Also, any side pairings that you would like to see will be counted. Any character in the story is fair game but nothing outside the story and I really try not to write yuri or yaoi - I'm not against it I just suck at it. Thanks!


	6. Explanations

Ruffnut sat before the Elder with pure aggravation etched in to her face. The old woman was grinning knowingly while stirring something in her kettle. Silence reigned over the two for longer that Ruff liked but she made no move to end it. She looked around the hut as a front to disguise her nervousness. In all honesty she had no interest in becoming the next Wise Woman of Berk nor did she want this freaky ability to understand dragons. And apparently smell like one. During her entire trip to the Elders home she could hear the dragons murmuring as loudly as the humans, most wondering how one of their own became a human and why it chose the form of one of the human twins. That however did explain in incident with Toothless - he thought she had been replaced with another dragon.

The Elder cleared her throat to catch Ruffs attention. "I'm sure that you have many questions for me Ruffnut, and I promise that they will all be answered in time." Her face crinkled in to a bright smile as she handed a steaming mug to the girl in front of her. "This is a tea that is made from several plants on the island. Its main purpose is to sooth a sore throat but I find it sooths much more than that." Ruff took the mug and sniffed the tea inside. It smelled faintly of one of the flowers that her mother liked to use to decorate the house when she was little.

"Now, first things first," The Elder grinned at the younger girl, a knowing look in her eyes. "You were chosen by the gods to become the next Wise Woman of our village. This is a great responsibility that you shall be undertaking and I thoroughly expect you to…Well, to be honest I don't really expect much of anything from you at this point. You're to concerned with things that hardly matter." She raised her staff and tapped it against the tapestry that adorned her wall above the door. It was beautifully woven to depict two dragon dancing in the sky while a third stood guard on a rock outcropping below. "Your future has been decided, whether you like it or not, and trust me when I say that I know you don't like it - I didn't either."

She looked over to the younger girl, half expecting to see a glazed over look in her eyes. She was pleasantly surprised to see that the girl was not only paying attention but she was actually interested in what was being said. "You will become a source of strength for our people, a light that they will look to in times of great hardship when the light of even the chief of our tribe can not hold steady and strong. You will be wisdom and counsel for out leader and all who need you. You own troubles will no longer be important unless the effect the whole of the tribe." A slightly sad look crossed the old woman's face as a memory flashed through her eyes. "Your sorrows and losses must never take your focus from the tribe. You will become a mother to all of those around you, and you will come to mourn every loss this village suffers as if your own child were taken from you."

Ruffnut could see the painful memories that flashed across the older woman's face and could not help but wonder what they were, but she could not bring herself to ask. It was strange for her to think of the Elder as anything but strong and steadfast, an unmovable and unfathomable mountain that would always stand. Now, sitting in the room with this old woman she could not help but see how truly tired and weak that she looked. But she could also see the wisdom and compassion behind that old face, all the trials that it took her to get there. She was pulled from her thoughts as the elder began to speak once more.

"Your time as the Wise Woman will be much more difficult than mine ever was. It is easy to be at war and to kill mercilessly, but another to keep peace between two groups that have, until recently, had no inclination to see eye to eye. You must keep this bridge open for both the humans and dragons of Berk. To that end we have been granted a gift from the gods." At these words Ruffnut leaned forward, eager to know at last what was happening to her. "The gods have granted us the ability to truly communicate with the dragons around us. They have given us the voices, minds and hearts of the creatures we once hated so much in the hopes that we will be able to keep the peace."

Ruffnut nodded at these words though in truth she had no idea what it meant. The Elder, understanding the look on the younger Vikings face pointed once more to the tapestry on the wall. "Dragons do not identify one another by looks and voice alone. They use scent as well, allowing them to sniff one another out. At this time, you smell like another dragon to them. From what I can tell, they think you're a Night Fury." Ruffnut could hardly believe what she was hearing, and yet, it all made so much sense. "That is why Toothless was so confused yesterday. You smell like a female of his kind, and yet he knows your appearance as who you are, Ruffnut. He could not understand what happened. At first he thought that you had been replaced by a dragon in disguise. This morning I had to explain that that was not the case."

Ruffnut blinked away the confusion that she felt before taking a breath. "Okay, soo…Why am I the Wise Woman instead of someone smarter, like, I don't know, Astrid?" Ruffnut was truly confused by the decision. Astrid was the better pick in every way. She was stronger, smarter, more patient and a lot prettier. To the young girl, all of these things screamed that Astrid was the better choice. However, the Elder just laughed.

"Girl, the reason you were chosen to guide us is simple. The wall you carved showed the whole truth - even the parts that most of us truly wish to forget. You remembered that in all stories there is more than just the end; Every journey must start somewhere."

"But Toothless attacked me before the unveiling of the walls. Why is that?" The thought had plagued her all night, ensuring that she would not fall asleep until much later than she would have desired. The nightmares did not help her uneasiness.

"The gods do not need to follow our schedules to make decisions. They knew before your unveiling that you were deserving. Because of thi-" The Elder was cut off as the door to her hut slammed open. Standing in the door, out of breath and covered in a multitude of Terrible Terrors was no other than Tuffnut. His eyes were wild and his hands were shaking.

"Elderyouhavetohelpme. -"

"Tuff, when you talk that fast humans can't understand you." Ruffnut practically growled at her brother. All that kept her from doing so was how funny he looked covered in the multiple colors of moving dragons. The boy in question looked at his sister in a panic. All the while Ruffnut could hear the little dragons muttering among themselves. After a moment she found her self unnerved by the fact that she did not find the fact that the little dragons were talking to be unnerving at all. "So, what's wrong, duffus?"

Tuffnuts voice came out several octaves higher than normal as he nearly screamed; "The dragons are talking!"

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And another one bites the dust! ….I am so lame. Anyone who can identify the quote and tell me what it's from is not only awesome but can decide something very silly/horrible to have happen to a character (No killing or maiming). The poll for who our lovely heroine should take as a person of mild interest is up on my profile (finally). I plan to have it run over the course of the entire month of January with at least two more chapters between. Please vote so that we have a fair count. Thank you to all who reviewed - I love you all! *Is crazy*


	7. Reconcile

"Okay, okay, okay. So, let me get this straight," Tuffnut sat against the wall of the elders hut, little dragons milling around his legs. "My sister is now some freaky dragon whisperer, and as her twin, I've been somehow pulled in to the nonsense."

Ruffnut snorted derisively at her brother, who very tactfully ignored her to focus on the Elder. It had taken two hours of explanations to get the story through to her thick skulled sibling and she was none the happier for it. The Elder, in all her wisdom and patience, was also beginning to wear thin on amusement with the stubborn man and finally just sighed. "Yes, Tuffnut, that is exactly what happened." All though, to be honest, she wasn't entirely sure why he could now communicate with the dragons too. Not that it mattered too much. Things would still go smoothly in the end...She hoped.

"Tuff, now that you have your explanation, can you please leave us to talk things over? I still need to learn what being the wise woman is going to take..." Wistfully she thought of all the pottery project she'd been falling behind on due to the carving of that great wall. Villagers would soon be asking for new jar and pots and if she had nothing to offer, someone else would surely take the chance to replace her. That was not something she was fond of pondering.

"No, I'm staying until you two figure out how to fix me!" He harrumphed and pouted in his spot, several of the little dragons nuzzling against his arms to try to cheer him up. "Don't be sad." "Smile brother." "Do you have food?" All the little ones were talking at once and Ruffnut couldn't help but chuckle. They were just too cute! Not that she would ever say anything of the sort out loud. No, that would ruin her reputation. And, after all, a womans reputation is everything...Right?

The Elder merely turned away and began rooting through an old trunk for something. Not that Ruff could bring herself to pay attention to what she was looking for. She was a bit too preoccupied with the Night Fury that was making faces at her through the newly installed window on the other side of the room (with the dragon attacks no longer a threat Stoic had decided to start trading a bit more with other villages and actually let some villagers purchase glass, though Ruff thought it silly). With a deep breath to steady herself she stood and walked to the door, opening it hesitantly. "I'll be right back..."

Before either could respond she was out the door and face to snout with Toothless. The black dragon eyed her a moment before jerking his head toward to woods and walking off, obviously intent on her following. With a shrug she did just that, rather grateful that he was taking her away from the village to talk. The last thing she needed was the villagers thinking that she was crazy. She really didn't want to be sent out to sea to die alone.

Once they were deep in the woods Toothless sat and watched her intently, her own brow raised in question as she sat on a rock to watch him. They has a small staring contest before he let out a soft chuckle and spoke. "You really are rather like the females of my kind."

"Something in your tone tells me that's not exactly a compliment." Ruff grinned at the dragon who gave a noncommittal shrug. "So, why did you bring me out here?"

"Would you rather the other humans say you talking to me? When Hiccup does it he knows that there is the language barrier. I'm learning, but I still don't quite understand everything he says." This actually made a lot of the interactions with the dragons make a lot more sense than she had originally expected it to. The dragons were smart, much smarter than the beasts that they kept for food and hunting. But that lack of communication...She supposed that that may no longer even be an issue. Well, not as much of one anyway. "I enjoy his company greatly. The other one, Astrid, I like her well enough, but I think she still holds too much of the old ways..."

Ruff nodded at this, thinking it over. Astrid was most certainly still the toughest woman Berk had ever known and was never willing to back down from a fight. But she was smart, holding a certain charm to herself... "I think I know what you mean. She has a good heart, but fighting has been to prominent in her life. In all our lives, I think." Toothless nodded at this.

"Very true. But I think you and I may be able to break through that and set things right."

"I really hope you're right." Ruffnut gave an uncertain smile that the dragon countered with a confident one.

"I am right. You already have the heart of one of my people. You've shown that with your free spirited nature and sharp wit." His grin, that before would have seemed menacing to her, came of as conspiratorial instead. "Your fiery temper gives it away too."

"Again, not too sure that's a compliment." They both laughed at that and stood. Though no apologies had been said, Ruffnut knew it was there. In a moment of clarity she realized that in the dragon language there was no words for apology. It was an emotion that was felt through actions in their world, thus rendering the hollow words unnecessary.

"By the way...What does my name mean in your language?" Oh boy...

Ahh, the joy of writing this again. I know it's short but I figured I'd throw a little tidbit out there for anyone who's still interested to enjoy. Hope you like it!


	8. Changing Times

As things began to settle in to a routine for Ruffnut many of the villagers began to notice subtle changes in how she would act around them. As time wore on they saw her be lass harsh with children who caused trouble, noted less and less arguments with everyone (excluding her brother, of course). The biggest change though, came in the form of what she would wear, causing many a person on the street to stare and, in a few amusing cases, walk in to walls and one another.

Giving up her armor had been a chore, but after three months of training with the Elder and spending time getting to know the dragons of Berk (mostly Toothless and her own fearless companions, the Hideous Zippleback known as Sparks and Flare) she came to realize that her armor was becoming more restricting and cumbersome than anything. Not that she would admit that. But the robes and staff of the elder were making more sense to her. In a way.

Instead of the metals of a viking warrior she had adopted leathers instead, choosing breeches and a tunic with a leather vest, gloves and guards. The hardest thing to give up had been the helmet though. After years of always having one resting on her head, it was almost startling at times to realize she didn't have it on her head (the first few times leading to mild panic). Not that she would let herself be unprotected though. She instead kept a smaller helmet around, one that was lighter and less noticeable.

Another change, that she enjoyed greatly, was the now regular banter between her and Hiccup. They had gone from trading insults as children, to trading quips and jokes as adults. It was a nice change for Ruff though she was sure that it would lead to trouble. Especially when Astrid happened to walk by during one such exchange. Ruff and Hiccup had been teasing one another lightheartedly near the mead hall about how the other was going to turn the village up on its head.

"Right, Haddock, because as the wise woman I'm really apt to cause as much trouble as you can get in to by breathing," had been her light retort to him as Astrid rounded to the corner to the hall. "Then again...Maybe I will cause as much trouble, just for you." Ruffnut leaned in close to tease him all the better, trying her best to keep from breaking out laughing at the blush that had taken hold of his cheeks. But there was that glint in his eyes that she knew meant that he was enjoying the banter as much as she was. Not that she ever thought he wouldn't.

Just as he was about to respond his grin failed and his face drained of all color. Standing behind Ruffnut was Astrid, fists clenched and eyes glaring daggers at her only female friend. Ruff, taken off guard by the sudden appearance of Hiccups lover, had a sudden urge to pout. She enjoyed teasing her future chief but had absolutely no desire to fight the most accomplished young warrior of her year mates over him. With that in mind she took a step back from the young man and leaned to the side, her staff held lightly in one hand.

It was times like this that made her grateful that, while she was by no means the strongest, she was the fastest, because Astrid looked livid. The shorter girl stalked over to Hiccup who was squirming under her gaze. 'Can't blame him a bit for that,' Ruffnut thought with pity as he shakily greeted the furious object of his love. "Hi Asitrid. Astrid, h-hi."

"Enough, Hiccup." The sharp tone seemed to catch the attention of others passing by because a crowd slowly started forming around the quivering young man. Ruffnut had, by this point, inched far enough away that she knew that she would have a good enough lead to escape her friend should her ire be turned away from Hiccup, which was a very good possibility. Astrid never liked to take her temper out on him anymore, leaning more toward going after Snotlout and Tuffnut instead. "What exactly has been going on between you and Ruffnut."

This sent ripples of murmurs through the crowd. 'Oh, by the gods, it looks like the whole village is here!' Ruffnut caught sight of her parents concern and her brother giving her a thumbs up from the edge of the gathering and mentally sighed. This was not what she needed right before her lessons with the elder. Hiccup was stuttering out some sorry excuse for an explanation in a hushed voice when it happened; Horns.

The village warning horns that sounded the alarm that other villages had come to raid them were going off. Everyone tensed before a flurry of movement occurred. Even as Stoic was shouting out orders to the warriors Ruffnut noted that the elder was nowhere to be seen. No one noticed that Ruffnut, instead of following the warriors to the coast was instead talking to a small blue Terrible Terror who nodded and took off toward the elders hut.

Ruffnut raced to the coast as soon as that was done, grateful that she had thought to cap both ends of her staff in metal the week before. Even before she could get a house length from the coast she was grabbed from behind. On instinct she pushed the butt of her staff behind her, aiming in the general area of the stomach to be met with the satisfying sound of surprise from her assailant. She was not, however, expecting to recognize the voice. Turning around she saw Hiccup holding his stomach and giving her sheepish grin. "Hey Ruff."

"By the gods, Hiccup, what were you thinking!" She glowered at him even as worry hit her. How badly did she hurt him? "What if I had aimed higher? Or lower, for that matter!"

"Then I would be making some very un-viking like noises right now," he replied as he tried to stand up straight. "My dad's looking for you. We can't find the Elder and the vikings that just landed are saying that they want to talk, not fight."

This did not sit well with Ruffnut who knew that that was not the way any of their Viking neighbors ever acted. "Do we know which tribe it is?" A thought then occurred to her. If the chief wanted her around then it would be safe to assume that it was more likely to be a certain tribe of mostly female Vikings. "Oh gods. The Bog-Burglars?"

She groaned when Hiccup nodded in affirmation. "They won't say what's going on though. Their chief is here herself though which always means trouble." He gave Ruffnut a sympathetic look as they walked down to the docks instead of the coast. The Burglars Chief, Bertha, was not known for ever talking things out with anyone, instead taking what she wanted and leaving the rest to rot, much like any other Viking in the world.

Now, it was also a very well known fact that the Burglars and the Hooligans hated one another. No one really knows why. Or cares, for that matter. All that matters is that the hatred is there, right? In the back of her mind she could hear that little voice of doubt whispering to her; "You hated the dragons too. Now look at things." And she couldn't really deny it. The dragons had become so loved within the village that imagining going back to war with them was painful.

Ruffnut suddenly noticed something even more unusual than the current goings on. "Hiccup..."

"Yeah?"

"Why is it so quiet?" They hesitantly looked over the edge of the cliff and down to where the Burglars boats were docked to see everyone staring at one another in quiet hatred, weapons raised and ready to strike. 'Oh, this is not going to go well...' Just as the thought struck her a high pitched voice called out to her "Wing sister!"

The blue Terror was racing over to her, startling poor Hiccup who nearly fell over the edge of the cliff. The tiny dragon only slowed when it was close enough to land of Ruffnuts shoulders and curl around her neck, nuzzling her cheek as is spoke to her. "The old one says that she doesn't feel up to playing with the other children today and said that you can handle it." She rubbed the small creatures chin in appreciation as she stared back down at the two tribes in thought.

"Hiccup. Today is going to be a very long day, isn't it."

"You know what, Ruff. I really think it is."

"Well dragon dung."

Hiccup chuckled at her comment as they decended the platforms, the Terrible Terror staying with Ruffnut. All the other tribes knew there were "Dragon Tamers" within the village. Better to have the added respect and intimidation on her side in this instance. As soon as they were near their tribesmen and women Toothless slipped out of the shadows to walk behind Hiccup, becoming the young mans rather intimidating shadow.

As the Hooligan tribe parted to let someone through the Burglars looked on in increasing discomfort. To them the figures that appeared were not the young adventures children that Berk knew and loved but two young adults with the look of wisdom and purpose along with authority being accompanied by the dragons that their tribe had become legendary for wielding. As the two took their places on either side of Stoic the vast their tribe seemed to relax a bit, while the Burglars tensed further.

Ruffnut continued to pat the small dragon, looking for all the world as if nothing was wrong and her tribes greatest enemies were not standing before her. Bertha looked the girl over approvingly, noting that while not in armor she was by no means unprotected or weak. In her hand was a battle staff, capped on both ends with metal. Her studded leather garments were nice but obviously meant for more than just show if the muscles that could be seen through gaps were anything to go by.

The young man, though rather short for a Hooligan, was looking her tribe over with a critical eye, his shoulders that were just beginning to broaden with age already showing the great weight that he carried on them. Behind him sat a fierce black dragon that Bertha had heard of only in terrible stories of destruction and death; a Night Fury. He shifted often but she knew better than to think it was from nerves. She almost immediately had noted the false leg he wore, likely aching from the cold.

These two, while young, were already great assets to their tribe. She knew this even before Stoic the Vast spoke to introduce the two. "Bertha. This is my son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, future chief of the tribe." The boy nodded to the woman chief, a sign of respect that she had not been expecting. She cracked a small grin and returned the nod silently, her eyes darting to the young woman. "And this is our next Wise Woman, Ruffnut Thorston."

At this Bertha paused. "The future Wise Woman?" She bristled slightly. "And why does the current Wise woman not show herself?"

Even before Stoic could think of anything to say Ruffnut spoke in an even and clear tone. "Our Elder is sadly unwell. She has sent me here in her stead to speak in her place." Everything from her tone to her stance spoke volumes. She would not be contested in this. Her word was final and even Bertha, the chief of a rival tribe, could not find the strength of will to argue.

Stoic nodded, obviously proud of the young womans handling of the situation. "Now then. If you want to talk, Bertha, we'll go to the Mead Hall. But your tribe leaves their weapons here." Her people bristled at that but she nodded, motioning for them to do as instructed. "Good. Then lets go."

Alright, I think I may have had a little too much fun with this chapter. I decided to do a bit of mixing of the books and movie, I admit but I think it's working out well so far. If any of you don't know who these new characters are it's fine, it won't affect your understanding what's going on here too much (though you might miss a few subtle jokes here and there). As always I hope you enjoyed!


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